Sterilizing and muffling shield for telephones.



P. M. ALLEN.

STEEILIZING AND MUEELING SHIELD EOE TELEPHONES.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 9. 1908.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.V

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i E E M f' NNW ullgmunlunu FLORENCE M. ALLEN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STERILIZING AND MUFFLING SHIELD FOR TELEPHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

Application tiled April 9, 1908. Serial No. 428,014.

To all whom 'it 'may concern.' l

Be it known that I, FLORENCE M. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, Cook county, I1l1- nois, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Sterilizing and Muiilmg Shlelds for Telephones; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Unquestionably, few telephones whether in public or private use, are maintained in a sanitary condition. The organic exhala tions from the mouths of the various users of the telephone soon form a deposit within the transmitter mouth iece and this in turn upon examination is ound to be teeming with bacteria, among which may be recognized the characteristic bacteria of almost any of the diseases which alilict mankind. Numerous devices have been proposed to remedy this unsanitary and disgusting condition, none of which, however, it would appear have come into any considerable or eX- tended use. In consequence, the sterilizing of transmitters has been very generally neglected and unquestionably much disease has been occasioned thereby. Another important requirement of the-telephone, is a device whereby the user of the telephone may, if he prefers, close the transmitter temporarily while the receiver is in use, to"'p're vent the speaker at the other end of the lineA hearing any' conversation' at the receiving endof the line. For -this purpose various cut out devices have come into use to some extent, all'of which, however, require the use of one hand continually while inoperation.

,The object of this invention is to afford a muiiler for the transmitter of a telephone Ywhich is capable of instant adjustment while and sterlize the transmitter during thc entire lperiod the receiver is han-ging upon the receiver arm of the telephone and which is instantly 'and automatically moved out of position to obstruct, the transmitter when the recelver is lifted from the arm.

It 1s a further object of the invention to afford a construction by the use of which the person receiving the message may manually ad]ust the sterilizing shutter to close the transmitter without interfering with the efficiency of the telephone and without necessitating the continuous use of one hand to hold the muiiler in closed position.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a front elevation of a transmitter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with the arms shown in section.4 Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the shutter holder'. Fig. 4 is a central transverse section of the double, muiiier and sterilizingzshutter. Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-.45 of Fig. 3.

Fig.. 6 is a reduced side elevation of theI shutter casing showing the' engagement of the levers thereon. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate different adjustments of the manually oper ated shifting lever on the shutter.

As shown in the drawings: A indicates the standard, of a telephone, and A', the transmitter pivotally engaged thereon.-

a, indicates the mouth piece of the transmitter and a the receiver hook or arm.

Threaded into the transmitter is the shut ter casing shown as a whole by B, and into which the mouth Ypiece a, is threaded, ,So that said`casing is secured immediately ,in front of the diaphragm and affords the connection between the mouth-piece and the ltransmitter proper. Said casing, as. shown,

comprises a cylindric upper portion, which may be constructed of stamped or pressedv metal, or in any other manner or of any suitable material and provided, as shown, with an outwardly directed threaded flange 1J, adapted to be threaded into the transmitterreceiver Yair-ni d?, as sllowl'rin Figs. 2, 3, and 5, adapted to receive the adjusting arm 7) therein. Slidable in said casing and shaped to conform to the saine to entirely close the aperture to the 4diapln-agm ofthe transmitter are two connected, oppositely facing iagngcdwdisks C-(l, which, on their outer sides are provided eachr with a pad of absorbent material c-c, adapted tol carry the antiseptic orsteriliz'ing agent, of whlch any of severalwell known preparations may be used. On 'the side'ot' the casing adjacent the slot is provided an outwardly extended arm b2 on which the adjustingarm bilis pivotally enga ed. Said arm or lever o, is` provided with a forked end, which engages a `central pin or connection c3, between said muffler plates and the outer end b4, of said adjusting arm or lever b3 beyond the pivot is shaped to be conveniently engaged manually to permit the shutter to be Inanually elevated, as shown in Fig. 1, to close the transmitter. VPivotally engaged lon said casing at the lower end thereof is a lever D, the lower end D' of which extends downwardly and transversely the standard and is provided with asegment shaped slot therein, as shown in Fig. 2, concentric with the central pivot pin on whichthe transmitter is engaged on the standard. 'I'he receiver arm or hook a extends through said slot, the upper end of Said lever D, extends in beyond the'standard A, and close beneath the rigid arm b2, and lever b3, and as shown in Figs. 6,'7 and 8, a shouldered leaf sprin d', is engaged thereon :at its upper end an extendsinwardly toward and into position to engage the lever b3. shown, said leaf spring at its upper end `is rovided with a resilient tongue, d2, adapte to press somewhat lightly against the arm or lever b3, to support the Vsaine in elevated position, as shown in Fig. I, when the sterilizing muiller hasbeen elevated manually to close th'transmitter.

The operation is as follows: Inasmuch as the segmentfshaped slot in the lever I), is concentric lwith the pivot, it is clearly quite 4Vimmaterial what the adjustment of the transmitter on its standard, inasmuch as movement, ofthe transmitter produces' a corresponding movement of the lever, which also is concentric with the pivot. Inasmuch as the lower end'ofthe lever D, is positively engaged on the receiver 'arm or4 hook, a',

'and the outer'e'nd thereofextends on the opposite side of the 'casing into relation with lthe levers 'bayit follows that upward movement of the receiving arm' when the receiver is lifted acts to move thefree end of said arm downwardly, carrying' the shutter C-C downwardlyI opening the transmitter for use. Should it be desired to `temporarily close thetransmitter while receiving, thev operatormay instantly accomplish this by pressing downwardlyon the end L* of the' lcvcr b3. rllhis throws the shutter upwardly, as showniuaF-ig. 5, and :in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the free end of the spring Z2 supporting the shutter imposition to vclose the transmitter. Then .it is desired to again open the transmitter, the lever is, of course actuated to permit the shutter to .fall to normal position, or should the receiver be lullig up on the hook or arln, the upper end of the level' l), swings upwardly until the' shoulder ci, on said leaf spring bears against the under side of the lever b, las shown in Figs. G and 7, supporting the shutter in position to close the transmitter.

Of course, it is evident that in every instance, when .tirst removing the receiver fromy the hook, the transmitter is fully opened by tlie'upward movement of the receiver arniand it is also evident that the transmitter may remain open or may be closed byv the operator without necessitating the continuous use of one hand for holding the transmitter closed.

During the entire period of use or nonuse of the transmitter, itis subjected to the fumes or emanations from the antiseptic or sterilizing pads carried on both sides of the shutter, and in vctmsequence not only the diaphragm is so treated, but as well the mouthpiece of the transmitter, thus at all times 'maintaining the instrument in a perfectly sanitary condition and alfording the additional and very important advantage of increasing the secrecy and privacy o? the use of the tele hone.

I have described but 'one construction embodyingvmy` invention. I therefore do not purpose limiting this application for patent otherwise than necessitated by the prior art, as many details of construction and arrangement may be varied without departing from the principles of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a telephone transmitter and the receiver arm or hook of a sli-utter comprising oppositely facing disks positioned to close' the transmitter when the receiver is supported on said arm and to open said transmitter'when the receiver is removed and antiseptic and sterilizing agents carried on each disk of the shutter.

2. The combination with a telephone transmitter and the/receiver arm or hook of a slidable shutter and operative connections between the arm and shutter comprising-in part a spring adapted to actuate the shutter, to'close the transmitter when the receiver is su ported on the arm and to open saidA tra nsmit-ter when the receiver is removed.

3. The combination of a telephone transmitter and thel receiver arm or hook of a 'shutter slidably supported to close the transmitter when the receiver is supported on said arm and to open said transmitter vwhen the receiver is removed from the arm and antiseptic and sterilizing pads carried on oppositely disposed faces of the shutter.

4. The combination with a telephone transmitter and the receiver arm or hook of a shutter sup orted to close the transmitter when the rece1ver is supported on said arm, and to open said transmitter when the receiver is elevated, a lever carried on the transmitter and engaging said arm at one end and at the other adapted to actuate the shutter and means for moving said shutter independently. of said lever.

5. The combination with a telephone transmitter and the receiver arm or hook of a shutter movable to close the transmitter when the receiver is supported on the arm, to open said transmitter when the receiver is lifted, antiseptic and sterilizing agents carried on the shutter and a lever operatively connected with said hook or arm and disconnected from the shutter but adapted to actuate the same. A

6. In a device of the class described the combination with a telephone, its receiver, transmitter and receiver hook of antiseptic and sterilizing shutters supported and connected to close the transmitter when the receiver is supported on the hook and to sterilize both thel diaphragm and mouth piece and resilient means for supporting the shutters in closed position both when the receiver is on or olf of the hook.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with a telephone, its receiver,

-transmitter and receiver .hook of an antisepticy and sterilizing shutter adapted to close the transmitter when the receiver is supported on the receiver hook, a lever adapted to be manually actuated to elevate the shutter and close the transmitter while the receiver is in use, a lever operatively connected with the receiver arm or hook and acting to yieldingly support the shutter when manually elevated to close the transmitter and adapted to elevate said shutter to close the transmitter when the receiver is on the arm.

8. In a device of the class'described the combination with' a transmitter, receiver and receiver hook of a casing interposed between 'the transmitter and the mouthpiece therefor, oppositely facing antiseptic pads supported 1n said casing, o erative'connec-- tions between the same and t e receiver arm whereby the transmitter is closed by said is manually close pads when the v-receiver is in osition on the arm, and acting to open t e transmitter when the receiver is removed.

. v9. In a device of the class described a one piece, metallic casing having an inwardly directed threaded ange and an outwardly directed threaded flange, a reciprocating sterilizing shutter in the casing and a pivotal member for holding the shutter to close the casing when the receiver is either on or ol of the receiver hook. i

10. As an article of manufacture a casing provided with a flange adapted to be engaged t0 a transmitter, and a. flange adapted to receive a mouth piece, said casing having an integral extension providing a chamber, a shutter in thechamber comprising disks and a sterilizing pad secured to each disk said shutter adapted to be adjusted out of the extension into the casing for closing the transmitter.V

11. A shield for telephones comprising a casing provided with tubular flanges, one threaded internally and the other externally, a chamber communicatin with the casing and a shutter in the cham er adapted to reciprocate to shut oil' communication between the -two lian es or vice versa.

12. In a evicev of the class described a connection adapted to engage in a transmitter and to engage amouth piece, a shutter in the connection and a pivotally supported lever, one end adjustably connected with a receiver hook and a lever actuated by the opposite end of the first named lever, said second named lever adjustably connected with the shutter.

y '13. In a device of the class described the combination with a transmitter and a receiver of a casing adapted for attachment to the transmitter, a shutter therein having a plurality of sterilized faces,.a lever pivoted to actuate the shutter and adapted for manual or automatic actuation and means adapted to. automatically actuate the shutter to close and o en the same and to support the shutter in c osed Cposition when said shutter In-testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FLORENCE M. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

C. W. HILLS,

K. E. HANNAH. 

